(Bloomberg) -- Russia is stepping up military training to counter drones after repeated UAV attacks in regions adjacent to Ukraine as well as strikes on targets - particularly oil refineries - much further from the border.
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visited the training ground of the Moscow Military District for a briefing from deputy Yunus-Bek Yevkurov on a plan for tactical training due by June 1 to practice skills in countering drones with small arms fire, the defense ministry said in a statement in Telegram on Saturday.
Russia faced one of the more intense barrages of the year on Saturday, intercepting some 50 drones across eight regions from Belgorod to Moscow, the ministry said, without specifying any damage. The governor of the Belgorod region, which borders northeast Ukraine, said two people died.
Read more: Better, Stealthier Drones Are Remaking Global Warfare
The overnight barrage was the latest showing Ukraine's fight against Russia's full-scale invasion has entered a new phase, pitting homegrown technology against a 2,000 kilometer (1,200 mile) swathe of largely Soviet-era oil facilities.
Ukraine has been able to target multiple industrial and energy sites with its drones this year, and Russia's diesel exports are plunging as a result.
In his training ground visit Shoigu also examined new equipment, including drones with payloads of up to 200 kilograms (440 pounds) and a new attack quadcopter that can be equipped with different types of ammunition.
The drones and their weaponry have been created from domestic materials and components, enabling faster production, the ministry said. Shoigu also said that Russia will create a research and production center for unmanned aerial vehicles and robotic systems.
Read more: War in Ukraine Enters New Phase That Puts Energy in Crosshairs
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